Winchester Model 1897
Winchester Model 1897 shotgun | |
---|---|
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1897–present |
Used by | |
Wars |
|
Production history | |
Designer | John Browning |
Manufacturer | |
Produced | 1898–1915 |
No. built | 1,024,700 |
Variants | See text |
Specifications | |
Mass | 8 lb (3.6 kg) |
Length | 39.25 in (997 mm) |
Pump-action, Linear bolt travel with tilting locking block | |
Feed system | 5 or 6-round tubular magazine |
The Winchester Model 1897, also known as the Model 97, M97, Riot Gun, or Trench Gun, is a
History
The Winchester Model 1897 was designed by American firearms inventor
Improvements from the 1893
While designing the new Model 1897, many of the weaknesses present in the earlier Model 1893 were taken into account and remedied.[5] These improvements included:
- The frame was strengthened and made longer to handle the newer black powder 2+5⁄8 inch shell.[5]
- The top of the frame was covered so that the ejection of the fired shell was entirely from the side.[5] This added a lot of strength to the frame of the gun and it allowed the use of a 2+3⁄4 inch shell without the danger of the gun constantly jamming.[7]
- The action could not be opened until a slight forward movement of the slide handle released the action slide lock. In firing, the recoil of the shotgun gave a slight forward motion to the slide handle and released the action slide lock which enabled the immediate opening of the action. In the absence of any recoil, the slide handle had to be pushed forward manually in order to release the action slide lock.[5]
- A movable cartridge guide was placed on the right side of the carrier block to prevent the escape of the shell when the shotgun was turned sideways in the act of loading.[5]
- The stock was made longer and with less drop.[5]
Of these improvements, the slide lock is the one that made the Model 1897 into a safe firearm. This improved slide lock kept the shotgun locked until actual firing occurred which prevented it from jamming in the case of a misfire. The slide lock "stands in such a relation to the body of the
Description
The Winchester Model 1897 and the
The Chinese company Norinco has made an effort to reproduce this firearm. The Norinco 97 is an almost exact copy of the Winchester 1897, produced in both Trench and Riot grades, yet lacking in the fit and finish of the originals.[2]
Grades of the Model 97
Grade | Gauge | Barrel (inches) | Production dates | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | 12,16 | 30 in (76 cm), 28 in (71 cm) | 1897–1957[13] | Plain walnut stock with steel buttplate |
Trap | 12,16 | 30 in (76 cm), 28 in (71 cm) | 1897–1931[13] | Fancy walnut with checkering |
Pigeon | 12,16 | 28 in (71 cm) | 1897–1939[13] | Same as Trap, but hand-engraved receiver |
Tournament | 12 | 30 in (76 cm) | 1910–1931[14] | Select walnut; receiver top matte to reduce glare |
Brush | 12,16 | 26 in (66 cm) | 1897–1931[13] | Shorter magazine, plain walnut without checkering, solid frame |
Brush Takedown | 12,16 | 26 in (66 cm) | 1897–1931[13] | Same as above, but with takedown frame |
Riot | 12 | 20 in (51 cm) | 1898–1935[13] | Plain walnut, solid or with takedown frame |
Trench | 12 | 20 in (51 cm) | 1917–1945[15] | Same as riot gun but with heat shield, bayonet lug, and sling swivels |
Original prices
When the Model 1897 was first introduced, the price depended upon what grade was being purchased and what features were being added to that specific shotgun. To purchase a plain finished shotgun would cost the buyer $25, whereas an engraved receiver with checkered and finer wood included cost $100.[10] The more expensive grades of the Model 1897 were the standard, trap, pigeon, and tournament grades. These were the grades that were normally equipped with an engraved receiver and with checkered, finer wood.[6][16] The less expensive and plainer grades were the Brush, Brush Takedown, Riot, and Trench. These grades were not given the higher valued wood or special designs.[6][16] This is because these guns were designed and built for hard abuse. These grades stood a higher chance of being badly damaged so there was no need to put extra money into them for appearance purposes. As the functions that were performed with these grades required them to be lightweight, it was not beneficial to use heavy and expensive wood when designing them. Most often, when these grades were purchased, they were purchased in high numbers. By designing these grades with standard wood and finish, it kept the prices at a lower level.[6][16] They were also sold in German catalogues for prices comparable to luxury double-barreled shotguns.[17]
Military use
The Model 1897 was issued to American soldiers during the Philippine–American War of 1899. This first major use of issued shotguns by the United States military involved 200 weapons procured and sent to the Philippines in 1900. They were employed in countering Moro tribesmen who engaged the Americans in close-quarter combat using knives and swords.[18] (See: juramentado)
During the punitive expedition in Mexico, some US soldiers were also equipped with M97s.[19] Already popular before World War I, sales of the Model 1897 picked up after the war broke. This was because many were produced to meet the demands of the military. When the United States entered World War I, there was a need for more service weapons to be issued to the troops. It became clear to the United States just how brutal trench warfare was, and how great the need was for a large amount of close-range firepower while fighting in a trench, after they had observed the war for the first three years.[2] The Model 1897 Trench grade was an evolution of this idea. The pre-existing Winchester Model 1897 was modified by adding a perforated steel heat shield over the barrel which kept the soldier's hands off a hot barrel,[20] and an adapter with bayonet lug for affixing an M1917 bayonet.[2]
This model was ideal for close combat and was efficient in trench warfare due to its 20-inch cylinder bore barrel. Buckshot ammunition was issued with the trench grade during the war. Each round of this ammunition contained nine 00 (.33-caliber) buckshot pellets. This gave considerable firepower to the individual soldier by each round that was fired.[3] This shorter barrel and large amount of firepower is what made this grade ideal for trench warfare.
It has been said that American soldiers who were skilled at trap shooting were armed with these guns and stationed where they could fire at enemy hand grenades in midair.[3]
Unlike most modern
Other military uses of the shotgun included "the execution of security/interior guard operations, rear area security operations, guarding prisoners of war, raids, ambushes, military operations in urban terrain, and selected special operations". Despite protesting them, Germans did not listen to Ludendorff and decided to use and unofficially adopt the M1897 for their own use with modifications and named it "trench mauser" and mainly place them with stormtroopers.[22]
World War I protests
The Model 1897 was popular with American troops in
The rejection of their protest greatly upset the German forces, because they believed they were treated unjustly in the war. Shortly after the protest was rejected, Germany issued threats that they would punish all captured American soldiers that were found to be armed with a shotgun.
Other uses
After the war, a shorter-barrelled version of the Model 1897 was marketed by Winchester as a riot gun. Messengers of The American Express Company were armed with this weapon as were various police departments throughout the US.[3] The differences between this riot version and the trench version were that the riot version lacked the heat shield and bayonet lug,[2] and all trench guns were equipped with sling swivels, whereas most riot guns were not.[10]
Users
- Ireland: 698 reported in service in late 1940[28]
- Philippines[29]
- South Korea:[30] used by UDT/SEAL
- United States:
- US Armed Forces
- Texas Rangers
- U.S. Border Patrol ,and "thousands of other agencies" [31]
- United Kingdom: used by the Royal Irish Constabulary[32][33]
See also
Citations
- ^ MidwayUSA. (n.d.). Cimarron Firearms 1897 12 GA Pump Action Shotgun 20 barrel blued. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020659496?pid=158995
- ^ a b c d e Davis 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Williamson 1952, p. 158.
- ^ "The Winchester Model 1897: A Look Back". American Rifleman. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Henshaw 1993, p. 49.
- ^ a b c d Miller 2005, p. 694.
- ^ Farrow 1904, p. 335.
- ^ Smith 1911, p. 5.
- ^ Smith 1911, p. 4.
- ^ a b c d Hager 2005a.
- ^ hickok45 (29 October 2016). "Winchester Model 97 Take-down model". Archived from the original on 16 November 2021 – via YouTube.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Wilson 2008, pp. 214–219.
- ^ a b c d e f Miller 2006, p. 98.
- ^ Miller 2006, p. 99.
- ^ Wilson 2008, p. 220.
- ^ a b c Carmichel 1986, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Alpha-Catalogue 1911: Winchester Model 1897 (variants, details and sales prices in German-Mark (1911)), Page 302, archive.org.
- ^ Miskimon, Christopher (3 June 2016). "The Short-range Shotgun". Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ Thompson 2013, p. 34.
- ^ Lewis, Campbell & Steele 2007, p. 162.
- ^ "Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States". Office of the Historian-Dept. of State. 19 September 1918. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Parks 1997.
- ^ Thompson 2013, pp. 55–56.
- ^ Thompson 2013, p. 58.
- ^ Thompson 2013, p. 62.
- ^ Williamson 1952, p. 159.
- ^ Tom Laemlein (23 January 2018). "The Trouble with Trench Guns". American Rifleman. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ Michael Kennedy, Victor Laing (2011). "THE IRISH DEFENCE FORCES 1940–1949 The Chief of Staff's Reports". Irish Manuscripts Commission. p. 21. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ Thompson 2013, p. 11.
- ^ "[Re]UDT/SEAL". chosun.com (in Korean).
- ISBN 1-85367-515-6.
- ^ "Firearms of the Irish Civil Wars: Part 2 the Republicans: their Unionist opponents had a much better quantity and variety of arms, but the Republicans put theirs to a lot more use. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ Maxwell, Nick (27 February 2020). "Weapons of the Royal Irish Constabulary (1822–1922)". History Ireland. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
General and cited references
- Boorman, Dean K. (2001). History of Winchester Firearms. The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-58574-307-0.
- Carmichel, Jim (1986). Guns and Shooting, 1986. Times Mirror Magazines, Incorporated, Book Division. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-0-943822-58-7.
- ]
- Hager, Michael C (25 January 2005a), "A Timeline History of Winchester", The Winchester Collector, Winchester Arms Collectors Association, archived from the original on 30 January 2009, retrieved 20 January 2009
- Hager, Michael C (9 January 2005b), "Model 1897 Shotguns", The Winchester Collector, Winchester Arms Collectors Association, archived from the original on 4 February 2009, retrieved 23 January 2009
- Miller, David (2006). The History of Browning Firearms. First Lyons Press Edition. pp. 98–99. ]
- Miller, David (2005). The Illustrated Directory of Guns. Collin Gower Enterprises Ltd. p. 694. ISBN 0-681-06685-7.
- Davis, Phil (7 August 2006). "Sangamon County Rifle Association Winchester Model 1897". Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- Farrow, Edward S. (1904). American Small Arms. New York: The Bradford Company. pp. 335–337. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
- Henshaw, Thomas (1993). The History of Winchester Firearms (6th ed.). Winchester Press. pp. 48–50.
- Parks, W. Hays (1997). "October 1997 The Army Lawyer". Archived from the original on 2 July 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- Smith, Morris F. (14 December 1911). "United States Patent Office". PIBEABM Patent Search. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- Thompson, Leroy (2013). US Combat Shotguns. Weapon 29. ISBN 978-1-78096-014-2.
- Williamson, Harold F. (1952). Winchester (1st ed.). Washington DC: Combat Forces. pp. 158–159.
- Wilson, R. L. (2008). Winchester: An American Legend. New York: Book Sales, Inc. pp. 214–220. ISBN 978-0-7858-1893-9.